Vulture conservation requires NSAID regulation

The toxic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac caused the collapse of vulture populations in South Asia in the 1990s (1). In 2006, India, Nepal, and Pakistan banned veterinary use of diclofenac, and later Bangladesh, Iran, Cambodia, and Oman enacted bans as well (2). The first bans were introduced just 2 years after the devastating effects of the drug were recognized (1, 3), but progress in the 20 years since then has been limited. With the exception of Nepal (4), continued illegal sales of diclofenac and delays in banning other veterinary NSAIDs have hindered conservation success (5, 6).